Alternative Airlines Review (my firsthand experience)
I recently found myself in a bit of a pinch while traveling in Japan. I needed to snag a ticket home for the holidays, but I was running low on coins.
While some airlines offered ways to split up payments, the options were sporadic at best. Luckily, I found an alternative — one that wasn’t sporadic and had more checkout options than I could ever need. So welcome to my Alternative Airlines review.
This is my firsthand experience using the booking site.
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents Show
What Is Alternative Airlines?
Alternative Airlines is a flight search and booking site. But their main differentiation is in their payment solutions — they offer over 40 different ways to pay for your flights.
This was the biggest reason I booked with them (but more on that below).
Besides basic flight search and booking, Alternative Airlines also offers:
Lost baggage protection
24/7 customer service
Simple online booking management
A way to book flights for clients (useful for travel agents)
Overall, Alternative Airlines is a reputable flight search and booking site that offers customers more convenient ways to pay for their trip.
So let’s dig deeper into why you would use them over other sites.
Why Use Alternative Airlines?
I mentioned in the intro how I was in a bit of a pinch for needing a plane ticket home while In Tokyo. Well, that’s where my story begins.
As life like to pitch curveballs every once in a while, I had some unexpected expenses pop up in my life. But the timing wasn’t ideal since I still needed to purchase airfare back home for the holidays.
To my dismay, all of the plane tickets were super pricey. I suppose this wasn’t terribly surprising since it was a bit last minute and during the holiday season. But still, it’s annoying.
I needed to buy the plane ticket home, but I didn’t want to take out a micro loan that had a lot of interest. Luckily, I had some unused PayPal Credit (which is interest free if you pay it off within six months).
Unfortunately, most airlines and booking sites don’t accept PayPal or PayPal Credit — except one (Alternative Airlines).
This is the main draw for using Alternative Airlines actually. They offer a variety of payment options (many more than just PayPal Credit).
It’s complete freedom in how you want to pay for your airfare.
So if you’re looking for more flexibility and alternative ways to pay for your flights, then this may be the answer you’re looking for.
The website is also intuitive and simple to use.
And as for trustworthiness, they have a solid reputation with over 16,500 reviews and 4.6 stars on Trustpilot (as of November 2023).
So now that we’ve got our why, let’s dig deeper into my actual experience using them.
Alternative Airlines Review (my experience)
If I had to sum up my experience with Alternative Airlines in one word, it would be smooth.
There were no surprise fees, unnecessary steps or any of that hullabaloo. It was quite positive.
But to be honest, I was a little skeptical at first. I had never heard of Alternative Airlines and there were some questionable design choices on a few of their pages (but they’ve since updated things to look much better).
But I pushed forward because they have thousands of positive reviews on Trustpilot and the rest of their site is modern and well-designed. So I booked my flights and everything was professional, smooth and positive.
I got all the usual booking stuff — like email verifications, flight details and customer support options should I have any questions.
It was a seamless process.
So based on my personal experience, I can confidently recommend them as a solid booking site to use (especially if you’re looking to use PayPal Credit or something similar).
How to Use Alternative Airlines (a quick guide)
Using Alternative Airlines is pretty intuitive and nothing jumps out as strange.
Basically, if you’ve ever booked a flight online before, it’s pretty much that same process. Still, let’s look at how things works on their site.
Upon visiting their homepage, you can start searching for flights straight away. Simply add in your flight details and click the search button.
After putting in your information, you’ll be taken to the results page. This is where you can sift through the many flights available and choose the one you like best.
You can click on “Details” to learn more, otherwise simply mark the checkoff box and hit “Select Flights”.
Or you can adjust your flight dates and details in the bar above, in case you want to change things around to try and find a better deal.
After choosing a flight, you’ll be taken to a flight details page. After double checking the flight information at the top, you’ll scroll down to put in your name and contact information.
Then you’ll have the option to select your seats or add any extras (such as baggage protection).
Finally, towards the bottom of the page, you’ll choose your payment method. Once you’re ready, you can simply hit the “Continue to Payment” button at the bottom.
After you’ve double checked everything looks good, you’ll proceed to the payment page. This is where you’ll put in your payment information and actually book your flight.
Once you’ve completed your purchase, you’ll be redirected to a confirmation page. You’ll also receive a confirmation email with all your flight information.
And that’s it!
As for checking in, you can check in online through the airline you’re using or at the airport on the day of your flight.
Alternative Airlines FAQs
Before wrapping things up, I thought it would be helpful to review a few more common FAQs.
So let’s do that.
Is Alternative Airlines legit?
Yep! I researched them and booked my most recent flight with them — no issues.
They’re a real website and business based out of the UK and started in 2007.
How does Alternative Airlines work?
Alternative Airlines searches through various airlines and flight routes to give you the best routes.
They connect you ways to compare and book flights in one place and purchase them using their convenient payment options.
They work similarly to other third-party booking sites, like KAYAK, Expedia or Priceline.
Is it safe to book through Alternative Airlines?
Based on reviews, reputation, site security and my own experience, yes it’s safe to book through Alternative Airlines.
I’ve had no issues and they provide all the standard security and privacy measures.
How do I cancel or change my reservation through Alternative Airlines?
You can manage all of your flight details (such as changes or cancellations) online.
You just need to log on the main site with your email (that you used for booking) and your reference number (the Alternative Airlines number, not your flight reference number).
Can I check into my flight using Alternative Airlines?
You can check into your flight using the airline’s website you're flying with (not Alternative Airlines).
There will be a link for you to follow in your confirmation email to check in online.
Alternatively, you can simply check in at the airport on the day of your flight, just the same as you normally would. You just need your flight reference number and passport/ID.
How do I contact Alternative Airlines?
You can connect with a representative through WhatsApp or through the Alternative Airlines customer service phone number at +44 1293 324129.
You can learn more about contacting their customer service here. Or you can also explore their help center for more answers to questions.
Want More? Okay. Here’s More.
